The Chronicles of Nikolai, Part 1: The Fall of the Governor
by lyokomegas4
Summary: Nikolai Zweihander has been alone since the beginning of the outbreak. With no home or shelter, he roams aimlessly. However, after an encounter with a man whom calls himself "The Governor", he begins to question what is more dangerous. The undead? Or man?
1. Allies?

Blood. That's all he saw. Blood covering virtually every surface his eyes settled upon. The undead were littered among the road, and the scent of rotting, decaying flesh was prevalent. Of course, it was everywhere now wasn't it? It had become the norm. Society itself had been disintegrated. He had been wandering for weeks, trying to find any sort of shelter he could use. His luck had been non-existent. His heavy body armor and chains hung beside him silently. He didn't want to attract attention. All of that time looting and pillaging from the dead really had its advantages. In fact, he was most likely better prepared for survival than most people he would encounter. After all, how often do you see a massive 7' 4" tall giant of a man wearing body armor, chains, and touting tons of weapons? It wasn't likely. Even now he was certain he was even more of a spectacle than before. The giant kept alert at all times, being careful to keep silent and steady. Sure he was vulnerable when he slept, but he had developed such a sixth sense that whenever he did sleep, nobody could surprise him. How much time had passed since the disaster started? He supposed it didn't truly matter anymore. However, Nikolai Eindar Zweihander never gave up. His resolve was metal. His belief in the gods were forever embedded in his blood. His family was so mixed, he didn't even really know what to identify with anymore. So he just combined the cultures essentially. His thoughts were the only things keeping him sane these days. The giant kept walking, keeping his eyes open for any sort of movement. Thankfully there was none. He sighed to himself, taking in the sight. Nothing. There was nothing ahead of him or behind him, save for what appeared to be a small feed store, surrounded by a small clearing of what appeared to be some sort of farm land. to his left. He was grateful he found at least something. He could stay for a couple of days, then continue on his journey. Cautiously, he stepped off the road into the unkempt field of grass. He crept slowly, quietly, making sure to keep awareness for any corpses. There were several, but none seemed to be moving. It was unnerving. The place looked dismal, eerie. Of course it did. Nobody had been there for months most likely. Nikolai continued to creep closer to the barn that was present, making sure to not make himself too visible. Sure he had body armor, but if they had any sort of sniper keeping watch, it would make it much more difficult to get through. Thankfully, as he edged closer, there seemed to be no indication of life. A few undead were nearby, but they were nothing that he couldn't handle. Preparing himself, one of them noticed him, and began to inch towards him. It snarled and growled. Nikolai sighed. He said, "May Odin have mercy upon your soul, innocently deceased." The undead raised its arms, trying to get at him, the other two nearby joined the fray. Laughing, he effortlessly lifted the first off the ground by the throat. It struggled, trying to get free. He reached his other arm behind the undead's head, and tore the spinal cord promptly from the rear of its neck. The undead went limp, the crumbled brain stem demolished. Tossing it aside, he then swiftly took one of his sheathed blades, cleanly slicing through the necks of the other two, decapitating them. Their decaying heads lie there on the ground, jaws moving, trying to get a bite of anything they could. Nikolai did not put them down, and continued to press forward. The undead were such easy prey. Sheathing his blade, he crouched low, making his way across the yard. Jerking his head around wildly, he inched inside of one of the buildings.

He quietly made his way through the shed, keeping out of sight. He checked behind several stacks of crates, and was pleased to know there were no ambushes in the immediate area. It was much cooler in the shed, although the constant buzzing of flies were annoying. He sat down on the wooden floor, and rested for a moment, gathering his thoughts. He couldn't help but wonder if the place was deserted. There were very few undead nearby, and it was indeed silent. Catching his breath, he decided that a scan of the area was necessary. He certainly did not want to be ambushed or attacked while he was asleep. Rising once more, he edged out of the shed, peering around the corner of the building. Nothing. Nikolai ran across the small clearing, and checked what must have been a hen-house. There was nothing inside of there either. The result was the same for each place he looked. Absolutely not a single soul in sight. Was his luck finally changing for once? Of course it wasn't. He had been investigating for what must have been an hour or so, when he was stirred by the sound of voices. A lot of them. He whirled around, quickly surveying the location of where they could have come from. It was coming from the left behind one of the buildings. He quickly maneuvered to the right, inside another shed. Quickly making himself scarce, he took to the higher level of his building and cautiously inched towards one of the windows. Outside, he could see a number of vehicles. It looked like a small convoy. Several men were approaching the building, and Nikolai couldn't help but wonder what they were doing. Several of the men were talking to one person in particular. He was rather well-dressed for an apocalyptic situation. His sleeves were rolled up, and he was wearing an eye-patch. Although his hearing was amazing, he was too far away to hear the subject matter of what they were discussing. The men were standing around, keeping watch. It appeared as if they were waiting for something. Nikolai wondered if he should go out and see them. The group looked like they were reasonable. The only one who seemed slightly out of place was the patched man. He looked grim, yet alert and prepared. The other men seemed to speak to him with some form of respect. Nikolai decided to just watch them, making sure to stay out of sight.

Thank goodness they didn't search any of the buildings. Although as to why he couldn't be sure. It was rather idiotic. Any undead could easily be lurking in the dark. Then again, the group was heavily armed. Nikolai, strong as he was, couldn't take them down alone. Time went on, and the men appeared to be growing restless and irritable. However, all of them seemed to fear the patched man. One hand was raised and they all were silent immediately. No doubt the patched man was their leader. Nikolai wondered if they had spotted him from the road and were wanting to talk to him. It was unlikely, but hell, anything seemed possible. The giant was about to make a move when, out of nowhere, he heard a loud roar somewhere in the distance. No doubt a car engine. But where was it? It was not from the convoy he was looking at. Did they have reinforcements? If so, Nikolai definitely knew he couldn't take them alone. There was no doubt at least ten armed people in the farm yard. There was no telling how many more were nearby. Out of the corner of his eye, he identified the source. A car was rolling in, sloppily swerving from one side to the other. It was blasting music, and due to the noise, it was attracting a large number of undead. The men began getting confused and worried, realizing that there were bound to be more undead coming. Nikolai did not hesitate. He quickly ran down the stairs, making sure to keep as quiet as possible. The car rolled right past the door of his building, and he used the rear of the shed to run across the yard, keeping out of sight and making sure to not be too loud. He was around the corner of another building now, and he heard gunshots. No doubt the group of men were dealing with the undead. He quickly peeked around the edge. After spending several moments thinking of what to do next, the doors next to the corner he was hiding behind burst open, and a middle-aged man and one undead came toppling out. The man had what looked like a sort of...was that a blade arm? The man quickly killed the undead, then suddenly, he was being ferociously assaulted by three men who came up behind him. They began to ruthlessly beat and kick on the man. Nikolai stayed hidden, debating on what to do. He couldn't help but want to aid the defenseless blade-armed guy, but he would be better off if he helped the other three men whom were armed. He chose the former. Emerging from the corner, he allowed his chains to drag, making a rattle against the metal of the building. Nikolai roared, and lifted the closest guy up by the throat. The giant casually tossed him against the wall, his head making a loud bang. He was knocked out. The other two men seemed confused and startled by the situation, and they rounded on the giant. Nikolai gave one of them a massive blow to the side of the temple, followed by a back-fist to the face of the other. Both men crumpled to their knees, unconscious. The patched man appeared, and had raised a pistol.

The man spoke, a soft smile on his face. "Whoa, whoa, now. Easy. We don't want any trouble." Nikolai simply roared, and the man said, "Hey now. Just a minute. Please." Gunshots still rang in the distance. The patched man holstered his gun and rose both hands, the typical peace gesture. Nikolai spoke, "Why are you here?" The leader spoke, "Well, we were waiting for another group to make a trade. We had some things they wanted. And they offered us some supplies in return." The gunshots had subsided. Nikolai spoke through his helmet, "Who are you?" The leader spoke solemnly and politely, "A friend." Nikolai spoke skeptically, "Friend? Is that not an outdated term in this new age?" The patched man said, "Depends on how civilized you are." Nikolai spoke, "Indeed. That is very perceptive." One of the other men of the group came up from behind the man and said, "We lost several. Ben, Briggs, Johnson, and a few others." The patched man nodded and whispered something to the shorter fellow. The man turned off and the leader turned back to Nikolai. "Are you out here all by yourself?" Nikolai answered, "Looking for shelter. A place to call safe, at least for a while." The patched man offered a smile and said, "Well it looks like you've come to the right place." Nikolai snorted in contempt. The patched man continued, "Yes sir. We've got a nice little community. It isn't too far from here." Nikolai withdrew his chains and said, "An actual community?" The patched man nodded with a rather charismatic smile. He said, "That's right. We've got walls, enough food for an army, living space...and people." Nikolai simply stared in disbelief. The patched man continued, "I'm impressed. You knocked out three of my men with a single blow. That's true strength." Nikolai did not respond. The man continued, "I would like to ask however. How long have you been alone?" Nikolai responded, "I have wandered for weeks. The last place I was in got overrun by the undead." The man slowly approached Nikolai. Nikolai felt his hand go for his pistol, but the patched man softly spoke, "Relax". Nikolai reluctantly obliged. The patched man stopped and knelt down to the bladed man's unconscious body. He said, "I have to thank you for finding our most hated traitor. He killed several of our people. He then ran for his life. He's been on the run for days." Nikolai rose an eyebrow. He spoke, "It's hard to believe, I know, but there is law in some places still." Nikolai spoke very cautiously, "I must apologize for the wounds of your men. I did not know who was friend or foe." The Governor said, "It's alright. I don't blame you." Nikolai was put off by that. This man seemed...too nice? The patched man said, "Hey, would you mind helping me with these three? I need them to get back to camp safe." The patched man motioned to his three unconscious subordinates. Nikolai nodded and lifted up two of the men by himself. The leader of the group began dragging the other. The patched man said, "You're pretty strong." Nikolai did not respond. He followed the leader to the group. Another of them had began dragging the bladed man behind them. The men had apparently succeeded in their job to neutralize the undead. The corpses were abundant. The group of the patched man were all looking up at Nikolai in fright. The patched man stated, "Relax. He's no enemy." Nikolai looked down at the men. One of them said to the patched man, "Sir. That bastard Dixon sniped them from the window over there." The leader nodded and said, "Relax, I know, I know. He won't get away with it either." One of the other men approached Nikolai and said, "Who in the Hell are you?" The leader of them rose a hand and said, "Gentleman, this is the hero of Woodbury. He stumbled upon Dixon and subdued him, handing him over to us. He definitely deserves some recognition." Nikolai liked this less and less. The leader was twisting his story. Only he knew what had transpired besides the three knocked-out men. He continued, "We'll honor him with a night of gratitude." Nikolai said immediately, "I must apologize sir, I cannot accept this offer." The leader laughed and said, "Nonsense, come on. Have yourself a few drinks. We'll get you a shower, some supplies, then give you a vehicle of your own. It's the least we can do." Nikolai once again said, "I apologize sir." The leader said, "Please, I insist." The patched man's expression seemed genuinely warm. He said, "It might be a once in a lifetime chance." Nikolai did see the wisdom in those words. He would likely not get a chance like this again. The leader said, "Gentleman, grab our prisoner and let's escort this heroic man back to Woodbury." Nikolai reluctantly agreed to go. After all, the lukewarm water of a shower and the pleasurable feeling of a hot meal were burning through his gut instinct to not go along. Against his better judgment, Nikolai said, "Very well, I suppose I can stay for a few days."

As the men proceeded with their tasks of gathering the remaining ammunition and weapons from their fallen comrades, and with them binding the unconscious man they called Dixon, the patched man decided to talk to Nikolai in private. He led him over to the truck furthest away, what must have been his own personal vehicle. The patched man spoke, "These people. They work so hard. They're good people, they care about one another. They've gone through Hell and back to get where they are now. They don't like killing, but by God they will defend what's theirs." Nikolai spoke, "How many people do you have?" The patched man said, "A few dozen. A good deal of them make up our town's militia." Nikolai liked the man's tone. It was very soothing and courteous. He continued, "The guy you found, Dixon, he used to be my right hand man. He abused that trust." Nikolai spoke, "How long has the community been formed?" The leader responded, "I'd say several months. Time flies when the world has gone to Hell. They look up to me as their leader. After the outbreak, myself and a few others, we survived, until we came across Woodbury. It was abandoned, fragile, but we decided it would be the holy ground for the new civilization. We built it up, fortified it, made walls, and scavenged for resources. Eventually, we grew in numbers, and things became more prosperous." Nikolai asked, "What about brigands?" The leader responded, "Oh of course. Several. But our town held strong, and indeed, it held up under the weight. That traitor, Dixon... He led an assault on our town not long ago. Stirred up a real panic." The men around them had finished their tasks, and one of them had come up reluctantly, saying, "We're finished." The patched man said, "Alright. Back home we go fellows, this mission wasn't a total failure. We got one prize. Not only that, but we encountered a great man. A hero. We celebrate the capture of this traitor." The other men gave a few approving smiles, and proceeded to load themselves into the vehicles. The leader said, "Come on, we'll get you there safe." Nikolai said, "Wait a minute, I never got your name. I think Patchy would be disrespectful." The governor gave a warm smile and said, "I never tell. They call me The Governor." Nikolai spoke skeptically, "The Governor?" The man smiled softly and said, "That's what the folks call me. It just stuck." Nikolai climbed into the back of The Governor's truck, and they were soon pulling away from the farmyard and onto the main road. After several minutes,the buildings were entirely out of sight.


	2. Perfection?

The ride back had gone rather smoothly. The men had driven the trucks back to their community successfully with virtually no issues. When Nikolai had seen the walls of Woodbury, he could not believe it. He felt his heart rate spike. There were several armed guards waiting atop the gates. They were heavily armed indeed. A couple of fully automatic rifles, and some devastatingly-high caliber pistols were definitely in use. It would undoubtedly stop an undead, or brigand for that matter, in its tracks. The governor made a hand motion, and the guards atop the wall opened the gates. There was a massive creaking of the doors, and the rather beautiful town of Woodbury was revealed. It was stunning compared to the outside world. Absolutely flawless. There were several people, presumably the civilians of the town, watching the convoy eagerly, hoping for any sign of good news. The convoy stopped in unison within what must have been the main plaza. The civilians gathered around. The Governor exited his vehicle, and the crowd looked over at him expectantly, great anxiety on their faces. The Governor had a serious, stern look on his face, and was clearly contemplating on how to spread the news. Somewhere in the distance, Nikolai swore he could smell beef cooking. Would that attract the undead? His thoughts were interrupted by The Governor's hoarse tone.

The Governor spoke gruffly, yet with dignity. "My friends. Today has been...quite devastating. We've lost several of our people. Our goal was to try to make peace, but these people...these terrorists...tried to ambush us. They put my men's lives in danger. They put your lives in danger. I have told you before, if we want to keep this town safe, we must prepare for battle. To defend our home, our families, we must band together. We have them outnumbered, and outgunned. With our superior numbers, fortitude, and will, we can prevail over this threat." Nikolai kept silent, deciding now was the time to just listen to what they had to say. The Governor was quite the speaker. The leader continued, "Now, more than ever, we need help. I'm asking any and all volunteers. Please. Defend what is yours. I have told you before, and I will say it again. I am afraid. People want to take what we have worked so hard for." The crowd could be heard muttering anxiously to themselves, not knowing how to respond. A few were nodding their heads in agreement. One blonde man said loudly, "Let's tear those bastards to pieces!" That seemed to draw a reaction from the crowd, as the noise level increased. The Governor rose a hand and all was silent. One of the men in the trucks, presumably one of The Governor's lieutenants, rose his rifle and said, "Listen. This man has never steered you wrong, has he? We all had a hand in building this place. We survived as one. Now the duty calls for us to hold on to our beliefs, and our values. We need to keep this place going." The Governor said, "They won't stop until they have taken everything. They will kill any one of you without hesitation." The crowd had angry faces strewn about, and some were moved by this, cradling their children. Another woman said, "Surely there must be another way." The Governor shook his head regretfully, saying, "I'm sorry. There isn't. We have tried several times." The woman was clearly frustrated, she blurted out, "Have you even offered them a place to stay here?" The Governor said, "Yes I have. They spit in my face. One of them attacked me, and you've seen what they've done to my eye." The woman looked down guiltily afterwards. The Governor said, "However, things have turned out well for us in this bittersweet conundrum." Nikolai's ears perked up to that. The Governor continued, "We have managed to capture one of our most hated traitors. He was on the run, and we sure couldn't find him." The crowd began to get keenly interested as the man spoke. He continued, "We looked for him for days. All until one man captured him, and brought him to us alive." The Governor rose a hand, and signaled to Nikolai to step forward. Nikolai leaped out of the back of the truck, landing on his feet.

The reaction was exactly what Nikolai had expected. Several surprised gasps were heard, and Nikolai merely stepped forward until he was even with The Governor.  
The Governor placed one hand on the giant's left shoulder and said, "Ladies and gentleman, this man has brought us our most hated traitor. Found him, captured him, and delivered him here. To us." The crowd did not cheer, but merely looked up at him. Nikolai said nothing, as the men on the trucks began to attend to their duties, taking the unconscious soldiers over to where they would get medical attention. As they did so, The Governor lifted Dixon's unconscious body and slung it to the ground. Dixon did not move. "This man has brought us Merle Dixon!" The crowd was immediately in an uproar. They were shouting some of the nastiest insults and vulgar words one could possibly hear. The Governor said loudly, "This man should be thanked. Tonight, we're going to have fun, and enjoy ourselves. This is a momentous occasion. This time, the traitor will not escape. This giant of a man will be heralded as a hero." The crowd obliged, gentle cheers and claps were heard, presumably to keep the noise level to a minimum. Nikolai looked around at the faces. These people looked tired and grim. They had no doubt been through the trauma of battle recently. Nikolai was tired as well. The Governor pointed at Dixon's unconscious frame, and said, "This man. Dixon, the traitor you all knew so well. He will be executed. It will be public, painful, and excruciating." He motioned to a few of his men, and they took Dixon's still-unconscious body off into the distance. The Governor continued, "Rest easy tonight my friends. I feel like I've been too hard on you all. And I apologize for that. It has been crazy around here over the last few weeks. I wish I could say that everyone will make it... But I would be lying. I do not lie to my people. I will be there with you. Fighting right beside you all. However, tonight, we enjoy ourselves one more time. Tonight, we relax. Tomorrow, we prepare for battle. Be ready." The Governor dismissed the crowd.

The crowd began to disperse, as The Governor asked for him to accompany him for a private talk. The patched man signaled to his subordinates, letting them know not to follow him. Nikolai followed the man to what must have been the central seat of power. The Governor seated himself into a large, comfortable-looking leather seat. Nikolai just stood there, unsure of what to think. The Governor said, "Nervous?" Nikolai said, "With permission, sir, I have not seen such a place in months...it is fairly new to me... Can you understand that perspective?" The Governor chuckled softly, his tone jovial and cheerful, "Well of course. To come into something from nothing...It is quite different." Nikolai spoke, "You understand my logic then." The Governor smiled and said, "I don't believe I got your name." Nikolai apologized, bowing courteously, and said, "Nikolai, sir." Nikolai did not know how to feel towards this man. He had already proven himself to be a liar, as he had twisted the story of how they got a hold of that Dixon character. The Governor spoke, "Russian?" Nikolai said, "No sir. I do not identify with any culture anymore." The Governor nodded thoughtfully, and said, "I see. It seems we all have our quirks, do we not?" Nikolai nodded. The Governor said, "Would you mind if I saw what you look like under that helmet?" Nikolai said, "My apologies sir, I never take it off." The Governor said, "That's alright." Nikolai never asked about The Governor's eye. It seemed unfair to do so since The Governor prodded the matter no further.

It was now the brink of dusk, and Nikolai still had not adapted well to his surroundings. Walking around with his armor and chains on, he looked like a total freak.  
He was now surrounded by people asking him who he was and where he had come from. He did not answer many questions, and he felt rude for that. However, it was overwhelming. There were so many people. He was sitting in a large arrangement of bleachers, and on the dirt in front of them, there were some people drunkenly singing, trying to put on a show for the crowd. Food and drink was being served, and the people were absolutely riled. Did they not realize how dangerous this situation was? The undead could surely hear everything going on. The Governor himself was silently drinking from a bottle of alcohol, and looked serene. Nikolai did not like the amount of people around him. So, he politely excused himself to go off a ways to where it was more quiet. Nikolai did not understand this place. The people were living life like it was normal. It was confusing. Had these folks not faced the horrors outside? Or had they grown so accustomed to the inside of the walls that they had forgotten reality? Nikolai didn't know the answer. He was lost in his thoughts, when The Governor came up beside him quietly. The patched man spoke,  
"These people deserve a rest. They've all worked so hard." The smell of alcohol was heavy on the man, and Nikolai responded, "You are aware of the dangers of the loud sounds, correct?" The Governor nodded and said, "The biters won't get in. We've got every gate reinforced and guarded. We're safe for tonight." The patched man smiled reassuringly and said, "You really should rest yourself. We all have a long day tomorrow." Nikolai tilted his head, "We, sir?" The Governor said, "You don't have to take part if you don't want to." Nikolai's inner moral code began to grind. They _did_ take him in after all. Surely he could assist. However, he still didn't know what to think of this place. It was all too sudden. The pits of his stomach flared, and he was thankful that the residents of Woodbury had allowed him to consume their food. The Governor spoke, "I can tell you aren't particularly interested in the party." Nikolai shook his head, "I do not handle crowds well."  
The Governor nodded his head and smiled, "I do not blame you. To be alone for so long, then thrust back into society. Speaking of which, I wanted to show you your room."

The Governor began trotting away, with Nikolai following closely. They roamed past the town buildings, keeping a steady pace. They entered a small white building near the opposite end of the bleacher area. The Governor was using a flashlight, keeping them from tumbling over one another, and lit a candle, placing it beside the bed on the nightstand. He spoke, "It's quite comfortable. We have hot running water. We have plenty of food. We have alcohol if you would like some." Nikolai nodded and sat down. The mattress, on a normal day, would feel slightly stiff and hard. But this felt like heaven. The Governor continued, "We also have electricity, but we try to go easy on it. During the day it isn't a problem but the night time is different." Nikolai noted the solar panels on the ground in the road outside.  
The Governor stood against the wall and said, "Please, do try to get some rest. I'll send my best man to check up on you in the morning. If you need anything, feel free to go over to the gates and tell them what you need. They'll take care of you." Nikolai nodded. Before he could speak, The Governor had left his room, alone in his thoughts.

Nikolai sat there, thinking to himself. It was surreal. Was it really possible? Had he found somewhere safe? He could hear the party from across the town, the people still enjoying their fun. It wasn't distracting, but it was indeed noticeable. He did not really keep track of time anymore, but he was still highly intelligent to the point that he could use the position of the sun to predict how many hours of light were left. He lifted himself from the mattress, and saw several other homes that were lit up. Nikolai looked up and down the road. Several armed guards were patrolling the streets. The giant was hugely discomforted by this. He had only seen one part of the town, and he could tell that there were efforts on constantly improving the walls. The walls were heavily reinforced, and there was little possibility for the undead to get through them. The issue was that it seemed too perfect. The giant was suspicious of this place. However, the exhaustion finally began to eat away at his mind. His vision started to blur, and he was immensely fatigued. Sliding onto the mattress, he lie down on his side, his body armor luckily not making him uncomfortable. He closed his eyes, feeling the sweet, loving embrace of sleep wash over him. A few more minutes and he was making sweet love to the void of unconsciousness.


	3. Nikolai's Tour

Nikolai awoke the next morning feeling refreshed. It had been a long time since he had slept on an actual mattress. Surprisingly, his armor and boots had not stained the fabric of the sheets upon the bed. Turning his head, he caught glimpses of various citizens rushing about. Something had obviously stirred the town's attention. Slowly rising his head from the pillow, he sat himself up, and took a closer look at the scattered trinkets around the room. There was a rather nice vase atop the dresser, obviously aged. Indigo shaded-linens draped across the windows, and were currently half-closed. Whomever had decorated this place liked to feel comfortable. Nikolai rose, feeling the all-too familiar weight of his weapons and chains begin to pull. Trudging slowly to the window, he observed the people outside. There were several men and women loading firearms onto various trucks, and some were attending to the vehicles, apparently inspecting them for abnormalities. During The Governor's speech, he had spoken of preparing for war. The giant observed the heavily-armored military trucks outside. They would be quite formidable in an offensive onslaught. He turned towards the door, and noticed that there was a basket of assorted fruits upon the nightstand by the bed. Nikolai opted to not take it, for risk of infection or poison. Pulling off his weapon harness on his back, he performed an inspection of its integrity. Two self-made torrent cannons, constructed from the base frame of two larger .50 cal rotary cannons, were lying upon the bed as he inspected and cleaned them. He remembered finding them in an old warehouse. They had most likely belonged to a collector of such memorabilia. He had modified them in a way that he, being an extremely strong man, could use comfortably without too much strain. After making sure they were fully functional (mainly by pulling apart the outside frame), he unsheathed his two blades, one on each hip. Blood stained the metal, as he investigated the fine craftsmanship for imperfections. He had owned them since he was a teenager. They were his father's parting gifts before he passed on into the realm of Valhalla. They had proven quite useful. They measured at 18 inches in length, plenty of length for decapitating the undead. Satisfied, he removed his last weapon. A modified Smith & Wesson Model 500 with a custom cylinder for 10 rounds. The massive gun gleamed in the crack of sunlight that shone through the drapes. This was Nikolai's personal sidearm, and he always had a slight chip on his shoulder that he could use it so easily. Most people's arms would buckle. He gently examined the chamber, making sure nothing was afoul. He absolutely relied on this gun. It was the first firearm he had ever used. The Giant silently recalled shooting it the first time. The recoil of the weapon was so strong it rocketed out of Nikolai's hands and flew straight into his father's crotch. Nikolai was banned from using it for years afterwards. His father had told him that the revolver and blades were a family heirloom. Nikolai did not know if that was true, but he still felt somewhat honored nonetheless. The giant rose to his feet, returning all of his weapons to their proper place. He shouldered the harness for his torrent cannons, and lumbered towards the door.

Turning the knob, he rounded the corner, and bumped into someone much smaller than him. Nikolai looked down, and was greeted by the sight of a middle-aged looking Hispanic man. Nikolai instinctively went for his revolver, but the man had a rifle in hand, and Nikolai did not feel the need to stir problems, no matter how strong he might have been. The man looked up and said, "Sorry about that, I didn't see you." Nikolai could tell there was a non-malicious sarcasm in his tone. Nikolai merely stood there silently. The man continued, "I didn't know when you'd wake up. Governor told me to keep an eye out for you." Nikolai then realized this was the man whom The Governor had sent to check on him this morning. Nikolai spoke softly, his deep voice resounding through the hall, "My apologies. I meant no disrespect." The man was apparently in a good mood, for he responded, "Oh my goodness. It speaks." Nikolai did not like conversing so casually with strangers. However, he said, "I see." The man spoke, "The name's Martinez." Nikolai responded, "Nikolai, sir." The man did not offer a handshake, and Nikolai understood why. It was difficult to trust people nowadays. Martinez spoke, "So you're the new guy? I must say you're a lot bigger up close. By the way...your name...is that Russian?" Nikolai felt a twinge of annoyance. The metal helmet he constructed, which hid his head from view, made his deep voice sound even more menacing. Nikolai spoke, "Many people think so. But no." Martinez nodded and said, "Alright. Well, I was sent to wait for you to wake up, and here you are. I have a few tasks I need to take care of. Why don't you go out and mingle with the people? You might find something you like." Nikolai spoke, "You imply that I am allowed to go...anywhere I choose?" Martinez nodded and said, "The only place you can't go is the metal utility building at the far end of town. Only authorized people can go there." Nikolai nodded and said, "Very well." Nikolai knew better than to ask "Why?". He was in potentially hostile territory and he needed to keep a low profile. Martinez said, "Have fun." The man hurried off through the door, shouldering his rifle and disappearing from sight. Nikolai slowly followed suit, emerging from the dim hallway onto the bright, sunlit pavement of Woodbury.

Nikolai was slightly surprised. There were at least 50 citizens rushing to and fro with their tasks. Trudging along the sidewalk, he took notice of just how _clean_ it appeared to be. There was no litter on the ground. From the looks of it, even the grass appeared to be maintained. Nikolai saw the youngest children and a few teens playing together a ways off from the adults, likely to keep them from learning the harsh truths of this grim reality. Nikolai watched them. Not far from the kids, he saw several women grouped together, talking among themselves. No doubt the female attribute of gossiping had returned to civilization. Such was the way of humans. Several people looked at him as he walked. Surely he must have been quite the spectacle. Someone his size and stature was indeed rare. However, it wasn't until one of the children came up and spoke to him he began to get aggravated. It was a young girl, no more than 7 years of age. Behind her was another child. A boy, maybe one year younger. They looked up at him and the girl spoke, "See Robbie? I told you giants were real!" The boy said, "He's not a giant. He's a super-giant!" Nikolai merely stared at them. The girl spoke, "Hey Mister! They said you caught that bad man. What was his name? Marley? Are you a policeman?" Nikolai could not help but feel a twinge of annoyance. What sort of idiot kid was this? He may have been polite on the surface, but on the inside, he greatly distrusted others, having a general overall dislike of people. Years of hell had turned him into a very bitter man. He had a dry sense of humor, nearly non-existent. The only slight sense of warmth in the pit of his soul was the fact that this town seemed to be safer than the outside of the walls. He spoke to the girl, "No ma'am." The girl said, "But mommy said that you-" A woman called out from across the road, "Jessica, leave that man alone! Come on Robbie!" Jessica said, "But Ms. Karen!" The woman, Karen, walked over to the kids, looking up at Nikolai. "Sorry about that, they love to meet new people. Go back to Monica, children." The two kids hung their heads and left. Karen looked at Nikolai and said, "So you're the hero of Woodbury?" Nikolai said nothing. Karen continued, "It was mighty fine of you to catch that traitor, Dixon. He had been a bit of a night terror." Nikolai merely stared. Indifference to the woman made him merely nod his head politely. "Not much of a talker are you big guy?" Nikolai did not move. She said, "Well, we're getting the ammo together and helping them load it on the truck. Apparently the big attack is in a few weeks. If you want to talk, come stop by our group over there." She pointed at where 2 other women were performing their stated tasks. Nikolai always made sure to stay aloof from others. As much as he hated to admit it, the town did fascinate him. These people sure had outdone themselves.

For the next several hours, Nikolai had examined every building that he was permitted to enter. As indifferent to others as he was, he was intelligent enough to know not to push his boundaries. He spoke to no one, ensuring that the only two people he had talked to were The Governor and Martinez. It was the late afternoon, when Martinez began moving towards him from a small group of people he had been speaking with. Nikolai stopped, and turned towards him. The Hispanic man came up to the giant, and said, "I hate to bother you, but The Governor asked me to come and find you. He wanted to talk for a minute. Nikolai said nothing, following the man. They swiftly walked towards The Governor's seat of power in the center of town. There the patched man sat, reading what looked to be some scribbled notes. He looked up and said, "Thanks Martinez. I will take it from here." Martinez nodded, swiftly leaving. The Governor rose from his chair, and looked at Nikolai from where he stood. Nikolai said nothing. The Governor smiled as he spoke, "Well, you've seemed to make a reputation for not talking much." Nikolai said, "My apologies sir." The patched man said, "It's not a problem, but you might do a bit better with friends." Nikolai said nothing. The Governor continued, "What do you think of the community? See anything you like?" Nikolai remembered the first conversation he had when the giant apologized for knocking The Governor's three men unconscious. Of course, Nikolai wasn't truly sorry, but they had beaten that man, Dixon, unconscious. The massive man knew he would need to keep a low profile to avoid unnecessary conflict. Being alone for so long turned his mind into a very tactical one. His polite facade was also quite useful to avoid trouble. Nikolai spoke, "The community is stable, sir." The Governor nodded and said, "That's good to hear you think so." Nikolai nodded. The patched man walked towards the door, and said, "Well, if there's anything you need, please come see me. I just wanted to touch base with you and see what your thoughts were. Would you mind coming with me?" Nikolai said, "Of course, sir." The Governor motioned for Nikolai to follow him. The giant lumbered behind. The patched man led him towards the gate. Before they got there, one of the guards looked worriedly at The Governor and said, "You really need to see this, boss." The Governor craned his neck, "What is it?" The Governor broke into a run, hurriedly climbing the ladder to the top of the perch. Nikolai followed and looked abroad. Undead. Undead in several directions. There were no doubt at least thirty of them. They were not headed in their general direction, but an accidental shot or car horn would definitely get their attention. The Governor said, "Relax. They'll pass by." Nikolai noted his words, how confident they were. The Governor proceeded to lower himself down the ladder saying, "Don't shoot unless they come within 25 feet of the door." The giant followed the patched man. When they were alone, The Governor said, "Damn hordes. They aren't common, but they have happened before. Largest one we ever had was 53." The giant said nothing. Nikolai had defended himself against a herd of approximately two dozen undead before. He successfully neutralized all of them, albeit with some effort. If it weren't for his body armor they would have devoured him. The Governor said, "Well, I need to go get a few tasks done myself. You come find me if you need anything." Before Nikolai had a chance to speak the patched man walked off swiftly. Nikolai stood there, the undead herd on his mind as he began sluggishly trudging towards the building designated to hold his bedroom. The giant pondered if the guards would actually listen to the order. The Governor seemed to command, not demand, respect from his people. Nikolai was curious if The Governor put himself in that position, or if the people had willingly chosen him.


	4. Night Swarm

Nikolai was jolted awake that same night by a tremendous clash of thunder. Sitting up in his bed, he saw the lightning illuminate the dimly lit town of Woodbury. Oil torches were lit along the roadside, and the flames were heavily whipping in the wind. Nikolai rose from the mattress and swiftly strode out of his room and approached the exit leading outside. Nikolai quietly slipped through the threshold, and felt the full impact of the wind hit him. Thank Odin his chains were fastened, or they would have flew out beside him, making a ton of noise. The rain was absolutely torrential. The visibility was greatly reduced due to the intense wind that accompanied the downpour. It looked as if it were raining sideways. Up ahead, Nikolai could see a figure running through the rain towards the gate nearest Nikolai. Nikolai pondered why, and followed suit. Up ahead, he could hear several men shouting. The Governor himself was there, dressed in an old sailor raincoat. The giant quickly ascended the ladder, and The Governor looked over at him. "You're just in time for the party. The noise from the thunder drives them wild. Sometimes they clump together. They just so happen to be heading this way. No less than 40 of 'em." Nikolai looked out from the perch. There were a few more undead this time than when he had looked earlier. Nikolai spoke, "Why not snipe them from here?" The Governor said, "There's far too many to put a dent in their numbers without risking a huge waste of ammo. Best thing to do is to wait until they get within 25 yards. Then we unload on them." Nikolai knew that The Governor was right. However, The herd was coming closer by the second, , and even if everyone on the gate were to take refuge in the town, the undead would reach the gate, trying to push it down once they felt something in their path. Nikolai spoke, "Please allow me to exit the wall. I have an idea." The Governor said, "No. Nobody goes out of the gates after curfew." Nikolai expected something like this. The giant said, "Give me covering fire. This will work." The Governor said, "I said no. That's final. You're not going out there." Knowing the answer would be the same, and with the herd edging ever closer to the gate, Nikolai simply stepped past him. The Governor rose his voice, shouting orders of protest. Nikolai did not listen. Leaping down from the gate, he waited several moments, allowing the herd to steadily close the distance between them. When they were roughly no more than 20 yards away, he reached his hands over his shoulders, and brandished his torrent cannons. He had enough ammunition to spare for this. He had literally thousands of rounds. The trigger for the weapon was mounted on the outside of his hands, forming makeshift handles to aid in stabilizing the weapon. He rose his left arm until it was eye level. Grasping the trigger, he made sure the targeting reticule was properly aligned with his left eye. Nikolai could hear the shouts of protest and fear from behind, but he paid them no mind. The rain increased in intensity, as the massive combined snarling of the undead inched towards him. Nikolai was an immovable golem, the rain and wind not affecting him.

The undead were now 15 yards away. Nikolai squeezed his fist over the trigger. The all too familiar hum of the warm-up rotation of the gun emanated throughout his body. After a few seconds, a massive barrage of suppressed .50 cal rounds erupted from the weapon. The rain that touched the barrel was immediately evaporated from the intense heat. Ahead of him, Nikolai could see countless bodies literally explode apart from the sheer impact of his weapon. He made sure to aim as close to the head as possible. The undead were falling in droves. Several had begun to push the fallen bodies aside, continuing their advance. Nikolai rose the right arm, and proceeded to fire both weapons simultaneously. The cannons made his hands vibrate uncontrollably, as they continued their high rate of fire. His heart pounded with the thrill of getting into such a large confrontation. It was not often that he got to use the most powerful parts of his arsenal. Nikolai merely stood there, swerving his weapons left and right for maximum coverage. The men on the gate must have gotten the idea, because they started helping him. however, the herd still came. Nikolai had gone through hundreds of rounds by this point. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, as he dark thrill of combat overcame him. He began to edge himself towards the herd. They were being steadily worked back, as they began to trip over their fallen comrades' dead bodies. The smell of rotten flesh putrified the air, making a sick mixture of feces, urine, and flesh. Nikolai walked forward, not feeling frightened. The undead were slowly being dwindled, as the isolated shots of sniper fire joined in the chorus of bullets and smoke. Nikolai's armor was waterproof, so the rain was not bothering him that much. It was so damn hard to see however. Ecstasy and a fierce berserker-rage overtook Nikolai, as he shouldered his weapons and charged straight into the herd. Their hands and bloody fingers tried to get through his armor, but nothing worked. The thrill of battle coursed through his mind, as he unsheathed his blades, decapitating several undead. His heart pounded with excitement. He uttered an animalistic screech of war, and ruthlessly slashed his way through the herd. Blood coated the visor of his helmet, as the smell of flesh was greeted by his brain. Nikolai was a monster in combat. More undead were coming. One of them managed to grab him from behind, and they all swarmed him, biting his armor. It was futile. They were not strong enough to penetrate it. Nikolai punched through the chest of one of them, and reached his hand up into its heart cavity, making his way to the brain. He crumbled the spinal cord with a sickening crunch, and it fell, expired. Rapidly swinging his blades, he cleaved off one head, then two, then seven, making a path just large enough for him to get back to the gate. Nikolai tackled through several of them, making his way to the base of the gate and climbing it. He took one of his torrent cannons and aided the snipers on the wall. More of the undead fell, and their numbers were reduced to a few dozen.

One of the men said, "Jesus fucking Christ Governor where the hell did you find this guy?" The Governor did not answer, as he was busy aiding the gunners on the wall as well. The exhaustion from the rage began to take its toll on Nikolai, he could feel himself becoming fatigued. One of the other men said, "Only a few more left! Keep it up!" Nikolai shouldered the torrent cannon and proceeded to take aim with his Model 500. The Governor stopped him by putting a hand up. The patched man said, "No. You've done enough." Nikolai opened his mouth to say something, but one of the other men said, "We've got this under control, Governor. We appreciate the help." Nobody said anything to Nikolai. The Governor looked at the giant with a stern, serious face. He said, "Come with me please. Good job boys." The other men nodded in gratitude as The Governor led Nikolai away towards the central seat of power in town. Nikolai said nothing, as the patched man undid his sailor coat, placing it upon the cherry wood desk. The Governor asked, "What the hell was that?" Nikolai answered simply, "Solving your undead problem, sir." The Governor lowered his voice a bit, and said, "You went crazy out there, were you trying to get yourself killed?" Nikolai answered, "That is unlikely to happen from undead while I am conscious." The Governor cocked his head to the side and said, "You deliberately disobeyed me in front of my people. I told you not to go out there because it was too dangerous." Nikolai spoke, "Yet the problem has been solved?" The patched man took a deep breath, and sighed. He spoke, "I am trying to help keep you alive. That isn't a good example to set for your first full day here. You're a hero to these people. Now they're probably going to wonder if they should fear you or if they should respect you." Nikolai felt the impact of these words. Most likely, the people would try to evict him. Nikolai didn't mind. He never stayed in one place for too long anyway. The Governor spoke, "However, I am quite impressed by your abilities in combat. I guess there is no need to have a combat test. You killed no less than 25 biters. That is quite impressive. Those guns you have are quite powerful. And the blades you have seem quite handy." Nikolai spoke, "Yes, sir." The Governor, "Hopefully you've enjoyed your stay so far. I'm a bit pissed off that you disobeyed me in front of my people. However, I can overlook it this time. Don't do it again." Nikolai could not help but feel a genuine tone of anger in his voice. Nikolai, though not intimidated, knew that he would need to try to keep conflict down. As much as he loved to fight deep down, there was always a reluctance to do so, especially against humans. It was like a self-inhibitor to ensure he didn't lose control often. The Governor continued, "Now. I'm asking you to return to your room. Everyone is tired and exhausted. The storm is still going on and we have major cleanup detail tomorrow. I hope you decide to stay, but we can't have any more incidents like that. Are we clear?" Nikolai responded with, "Yes, sir." The giant promptly left, making sure to get to his room as soon as possible. He lie down on the mattress, and proceeded to fall unconscious not long after, the exhaustion from the fight consuming him entirely.


	5. Scavenging Mission Pt I: Arrival

To Nikolai's own surprise, the giant found himself staying. It had been exactly one week since his frenzy against the herd of undead, and sure enough, rumors of his deeds had passed through town. Instead of keeping a low profile, his outburst had managed to achieve the complete opposite effect. Everyone in town (except for The Governor) seemed to fear him. He did not find amusement in it either. However, it did seem to make people steer clear of him, and that was at the least partially satisfying. The only people he spoke to regularly were Martinez and The Governor, and even then it was in short, terse statements. They seemed curious as to why he did not talk very much, but he never explained his reasoning. As the days past, The Governor had begun to ask him if he wanted to go on scavenging runs, to which Nikolai accepted a few times, but not many. The runs were rather smooth, as the town seemed to have a small network of outposts with men on guard duty at each one. It was very rare to encounter more than a few undead. The main reasoning for Nikolai's presence was purely for muscle and heavy firepower should the need arise. None of The Governor's men except for Martinez dared to give him orders. Nikolai did not mind this, as the Hispanic man seemed to be a rather competent lieutenant. He treated the people under his leadership well, and never rose his voice unless he needed to.

The Governor had not been lying when he said that Woodbury was well-stocked. The settlement had such a large storage of food that, in Nikolai's mind, there was no doubt that every citizen in town could eat 3 decently portioned square meals a day for the next six months. Due to the number of scavenging missions the town militia performed, that supply only increased. The giant could not even begin to fathom the enormous supply of ammunition they had managed to obtain. According to Martinez they had not specifically scavenged for ammunition or potential weapons for over two months now. It boggled Nikolai's mind that there was actually a community doing so...well. How had they managed to accomplish this? Could there actually be some sort of dim hope for humanity?

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his door. He had totally forgotten that it was late afternoon, the sun beating down on the town of Woodbury. It had been humid and warm outside all day, making Nikolai's clothes stick to his skin. He was rather indifferent to the feeling. He had gotten into the habit of taking off his body armor when not going on runs, although he still wore clothing that kept the entirety of his body shielded from view. He always wore his metal helmet, except when he bathed, and that was only when nobody else was around. The giant rose from his bed, walking over to the door and cracking it open. The Governor was standing there, a stern expression plastered on his face. He spoke, "Mind if I come in?" Nikolai allowed the patched man entrance, gently shutting the door behind him. The Governor spoke, "We've got another run planned for today. I came by earlier this morning asking if you were feeling up for it. Have you thought about it?" Nikolai stood silently for a minute, before saying, "Yes, sir. I will go with them." The Governor smiled warmly and said, "Good, they could use your help. You've become quite a valuable asset." Nikolai said nothing. The Governor continued, "All the help is appreciated. According to Martinez you follow orders perfectly well." Nikolai nodded and said, "It is merely my responsibility, sir." The Governor rose an eyebrow. He spoke, "Responsibility?" Nikolai said, "I am given a duty by Martinez. I simply carry out the objectives." The Governor nodded and said, "Interesting. Well, they are getting ready to leave now. I will tell them to wait on you." The patched man disappeared behind the door, and Nikolai armed himself swiftly. Shouldering his Torrent Cannon harness, he briskly walked outside of the building. Martinez was on a truck, waving towards him. The Hispanic yelled, "Come on Hoss! We've got to get moving!" Nikolai trudged towards the vehicle, observing the two other people with Martinez. One of them was a Black man, named Tyreese. The other, a woman, named Sasha. Nikolai had heard that they were brother and sister. Leaping up onto the bed of the truck with them, he took a seat, placing his back against the gate. One other man, Shumpert, climbed into the driver's seat, and ignited the engine. Pulling out of the plaza, the small team of scavengers waited until the sentry opened the main gate, and they pulled off onto the main road, away from the safe haven of Woodbury.

For several minutes during the ride, Martinez spoke to them about the mission. Apparently, the scouts of Woodbury had discovered a grocery store several miles away from the town. The scouts reported that it was relatively untouched. However, the catch was that there were several undead roaming around it, and the premises would need to be cleared before they could loot it. Martinez spoke to the large Black man, "Now Tyreese, you and your sister were chosen by The Governor to assist us with this mission. Sasha has specialization with firearms, and you are very proficient with close combat. I need you two to keep a level head. I don't want a repeat of what happened last time we took you somewhere. Am I clear?" Sasha had a frown upon her face, and said, "Yeah we got it." Tyreese said nothing, merely looking over the side of the bed of the truck, observing the landscape that passed by. Martinez repeated a bit more aggressively, "Am I clear?" Tyreese responded with a bit of a grimace, "I heard you." Nikolai could clearly sense some tension here. He wondered what the source of it was. Martinez then spoke to Nikolai, "Hoss, I need you keep a sharp eye out for any biters that may come up from around the building. It's in a small town that is absolutely fucked all to hell." Nikolai responded, "Of course, sir. As you say." Sasha said, "Any idea how many biters are in there?" Martinez responded, "No idea. At least a dozen. If we're lucky, they won't be clumped together too tightly. If they are, we may have a problem." Sasha nodded in response. The scenery changed into an open field. Nikolai observed the area, watching a few undead walking by. The undead flesh was prevalent in the air, as they diverted their attention to the truck that zoomed by. The small scavenger team ignored them completely. Ahead, Nikolai could see several small buildings appear. Martinez spoke, "It's not much further, probably 20 more minutes." Sasha spoke, "Alright, let's get prepared then." The woman had a rifle of sorts, inspecting and cleaning it with precise motions. Tyreese had drawn a handgun and was wiping it down with an alcohol pad he had grasped from his pocket. The two siblings said nothing else, looking as if they were mentally preparing themselves for the mission. Nikolai did no such thing, knowing his weapons were ready.

Several more buildings and minutes passed by, until Shumpert directed the vehicle off of the road and into the parking lot of the building. Martinez spoke quietly, observing the surroundings, "I'll go in first." He crawled out of the bed, and walked up to the driver seat, where Shumpert had a machine gun at the ready. Martinez spoke to their driver, "Shumpert, take position and guard the truck." Sasha exited the bed, followed by Tyreese. Nikolai himself stood up in the bed of the truck and leapt over the side. Landing with a solid thud of his boots on the concrete, he silently followed Martinez as the Hispanic man led the way. Tyreese spoke, "Looks like we aren't alone. I see a few over there." Tyreese pointed to the left. Standing near the front-left corner of the building were 3 undead. Martinez turned to look at the siblings. He spoke, "Sasha, you and I should circle around the back." Nikolai, out of the corner of his eye, could see a brief flash of anger in Tyreese's eyes, but it quickly subside. The Hispanic man continued, "Tyreese, Hoss, you go in the front." Tyreese said, "No problem." Nikolai said nothing. Parting ways, Nikolai crouched low and inched his way towards the door. Martinez and Sasha disappeared from sight. Tyreese said, "I think we should take out the ones on the corner." Nikolai said nothing. Tyreese continued, "It would make an alternate escape route. I've got this." Nikolai watched the man approach the undead from behind, taking out the first one with a hammer's nail-pulling end. The other two rounded on him. Swiftly, Tyreese smashed one of them over the head, making a large indentation in its skull and heavily damaging the brain. The undead fell quickly. The last one got a hold of Tyreese, and Nikolai watched as the Black man get out of its grasp, narrowly avoiding a bite. Tyreese stuck the hammer over his shoulder, jamming the pulling end into the bottom mandible. Tugging furiously, he tore off the lower mandible, making the undead unable to bite him. Tyreese wrestled the undead to the ground, lifted his foot, and made a sickening crunch against the undead's skull, mashing its brain. Nikolai did not move the entire time. Tyreese looked over at him, and said, "That's taken care of." The man led the way inside, Nikolai trudging close behind.

The inside of the building was dim compared to the outside. Indeed, the store had been relatively untouched, and for good reason. No less than a dozen undead were scattered about the aisles, mindlessly roaming in no particular direction. Nikolai watched as Tyreese put up his hand, signaling for him to stop. Although Nikolai's heart rate maintained its stability, the giant quickly glanced in all directions, making sure they weren't being watched. Tyreese turned around and whispered, "Look. 'Round the corner." Nikolai peeked down the aisle. 6 undead were in one aisle, groaning to one another, as if they were communicating. Nikolai did not know if they really could or not, but it was interesting to watch nonetheless. Tyreese said, "I think we can avoid them." Nikolai said nothing. Tyreese said, "What do you think?" Nikolai still did not respond. Tyreese looked slightly annoyed, but did not ask again. He said, "Come on, let's avoid them." Nikolai followed Tyreese as he slipped past the entrance of the aisle, amking sure to not draw attention to themselves. Traveling the aisle closest to the milk cooler doors, Nikolai could smell the rancid, expired milk that was present in the machines. It did not affect him so much, but Tyreese was making noises of disgust. Nikolai said nothing about it. Tyreese suddenly said, "Hold it." Footsteps were approaching. Tyreese clicked his flashlight, and rose the hammer, ready to strike whatever came around the corner. As soon as the footsteps emerged from the aisle, Tyreese leapt out and rose his arm, but stopped when he saw that it was Martinez. Martinez said, eyes wide, "Damn, man, take it easy." Tyreese said quietly, "My bad, I thought you were a biter." Martinez said, "Hell no I'm not a biter." Tyreese said, "Alright, still, my bad. The Hispanic man said, "Well, regardless, we counted approximately seven of them from what we could see. How many did you find?" Tyreese responded with, "Six so far." The Hispanic man said, "Alright. I think we can take them out. If we are thorough, we can get a full sweep of the building, maybe even taking all of them out." As soon as Martinez spoke those words, things took a turn for the worse.


	6. Scavenging Mission Pt II: Narrow Escape

A thunderous crash was heard throughout the building, making all of them freeze simultaneously. Instinctively, Nikolai crouched low, and inched his way out into the main walkway. He could hear the undead snarling, instinctively traveling to the source of the sound. The giant silently and gracefully swept across the floor, passing several aisles. Emerging from the safe cover of the shelf, he took a glance around the corner. One of the undead had managed to knock over a display by walking into it. Nikolai couldn't help but sigh with relief. Raising himself up, he just then remembered he had totally forgotten of his team's existence. He could not see them behind him. Nikolai decided to pick the undead off one by one cautiously. He carefully closed the distance between himself and the closest one. That was when he heard gunfire. The undead lifted their heads towards the noise in unison. Nikolai retreated into the safety of the aisle. He swiftly strode past several aisle openings, keeping his head low to stay in cover.

Ahead of him, he could see Sasha scurrying off towards the nearest exit door. The giant decided to follow her. Gunfire was coming from virtually every direction, and Nikolai's heartrate spiked. He heard glass shatter, bullets completely destroying the various windows of the store. Sasha had slipped outside of the door, and Nikolai carefully cracked it open just a hair. From what he could see, undead were beginning to converge on the store. Nikolai carefully inched through the door, making his way along the wall towards the truck. The giant whirled his head around rapidly, trying to pinpoint the general direction of the gunfire. He could not, for it sounded far too widespread. From the sounds of it, they were surrounded and outnumbered. Martinez suddenly appeared near the truck, screaming, "Come on! The biters are coming!" Sure enough, emerging from the various trees and buildings nearby, several undead were being herded towards the store. The gunfire only increased in intensity, and indeed, it would be better to get out now than regret it later. The undeaed appeared in droves, attracted by the noise. Nikolai sprinted towards the vehicle, when something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. A muzzle flash appeared in the distance to his left. The giant brandished his torrent cannons. Martinez screamed again, "Nikolai! Hurry up!" Nikolai did not listen, rather aiming in the general direction of the muzzle flash. Nikolai squeezed the trigger, and the barrel began its warm up charge. The barrage of rounds began. Nikolai slightly swerved the guns left and right, ensuring maximum suppressive fire. The gunfire ceased to emit from the direction he was firing in. As much as Nikolai wanted to investigate the perpetrator, he knew more undead would be coming. Nikolai sprinted to the truck, and leapt into the bed. Tyreese and Martinez, as well as Sasha were already there. Shumpert was already putting the truck in drive, vigorously steering the vehicle off of the lot and back to the road. The truck made a furious squeal with its wheels, leaving a large skid mark on the road. Nikolai was standing on the bed, torrent cannons balance on the roof of the truck in case there were more enemies coming. Minutes passed, and there seemed to be no more enemies. Nikolai shouldered his cannons, and balanced himself on the rod that held two additional sight lights on the bed.

For several minutes, nobody said anything. That was until Martinez furiously swore. "Goddamn it to hell!" Nobody said anything. the Hispanic man continued, "We had already secured the damn place. Fucking brigands." Nikolai spoke, "Did anyone manage to get a glimpse of our attackers?" Everyone shook their heads. Martinez said, "The Governor's going to be furious. We won't hear the end of it." None of the others said anything. From their response, Nikolai could tell he was saying the truth. The giant wondered what a furious Governor would look like. Martinez said, "Well, at least we know the location of it." Nikolai spoke, "It will be much easier to loot next time." Martinez spoke in a frustrated tone, "Yeah, IF there's anything left to loot." Tyreese said, "Look man, we were attacked, we're lucky we got out of there alive." Martinez said, "Yeah but we needed those supplies." Nobody said anything else for the duration of the return trip. Nikolai wondered what The Governor would say to them.

Shumpert pulled the truck into the main plaza of Woodbury. The citizens started to gather around the vehicle like they usually did. The Governor appeared in front of the crowd, a smile on his face. Nikolai kept a close observance on his facial features. Sure enough, as the scavenging team exited the vehicle one by one, The Governor's frown grew more and more evident. The patched man said three words, softly, "Come with me." All 5 of the scavenging team followed their leader, and the crowd's disappointment grew more noticeable. The team stepped into the cool shade of the seat of power in the center of town, and The Governor took a seat at the large desk. He spoke, "Now I know that missions can go awry, but you had the sufficient firepower to handle any biters that came your way." None of the team said anything. Nikolai could sense their despair. The Governor continued, "I must say I'm a bit disappointed Martinez. You're my best man. You're supposed to show results." Martinez opened his mouth to speak, but The Governor rose a hand. The patched man continued, "Sasha, Tyreese, We can't be having repeated failures like this. This is the second time you've failed an objective. All I ask is that you're productive." The Governor turned to Shumpert, "As for you, I don't know what to say. You've disappointed me more times than this. However, it seems at least you accomplished your objective of getting them there." The leader rounded on Nikolai, "I am quite surprised you didn't slaughter any opposition. What happened out there? Did you panic?" Nikolai said nothing. The Governor spoke again, "I chose you 5 for this mission because I thought you could produce results. Am I mistaken?" Nikolai was beginning to notice just how monstrous The Governor could look when angered. To the giant, it wasn't a big deal, but the others were clearly intimidated. The patched man rose his voice, "Are you going to stand there? No explanations?" Nikolai spoke, "The mission went awary because we were attacked." The Governor's demeanor immediately changed from angry to stern. Martinez continued for the giant, "We got there, and things were going smoothly. All of a sudden, gunfire. Gunfire everywhere. We were surrounded. We didn't know how many there were, but there was gunfire coming in from all sides." The Governor asked, "Was anyone hurt?" Tyreese answered, "Nobody was hurt, we were just shook up a little." The Governor swore to himself, then said, "Alright. At least you found its location. We'll send a more prepared team tomorrow morning, at the crack of dawn." Tyreese said, "Governor, are you sure that's a good idea? They may have fortified it by then, and there may be even more undead than there were today." The Governor considered the Black man's words, and said, "I understand your concern, but I think it is a better idea to pursue the goal." Nikolai spoke, "The building was largely untouched, and if there were people trying to get us out of there, then they no doubt will loot it themselves. We may have been followed there." The Governor looked surprised at this, then said, "Alright. We'll send more of you out tomorrow. For now, I've got to spill the bad news... People are going to wonder. Just go on to your homes, get some rest. You don't even need to go to the gathering." At these words, the team dispersed. Nikolai stepped out of the door, into the dim sunlight of the sunset. The giant wished he felt as well as the sky looked beautiful.


	7. The Governor's Request

As the days went by, Woodbury found itself struggling to complete supply runs. One failure after the other led to The Governor's growing frustration and disappointment. A few, including Shumpert, had been injured in the fray. More often than not, Nikolai found himself being posted on watch duty for the most remote parts of the wall. Nikolai was unaffected by this, as he did not have anyone distracting him from his duty. He still rarely spoke, but he found himself volunteering for runs more often than he did before. He remained distant from the townspeople, still not being very trusting of others. He had received several compliments for his physical strength, especially during construction projects. Slowly but surely, Nikolai had established himself as the strong and silent type. On this particular day, Nikolai was posted on the most isolated station in the furthest corner of the town. The giant stood there, stone-like in determination. Today he was partnered with Tyreese, whom apparently requested to be on the same shift as the giant. Tyreese was pacing back and forth atop the bus, which constructed part of the makeshift wall. Tyreese spoke to the giant, "It is getting crazy around here. We've had 4 people injured in the last week alone. I think The Governor is getting a bit hasty." Nikolai said nothing, as usual. Tyreese continued, "We've been going on missions relentlessly lately. Some of the people are growing discontent. With the attack on the prison looming ahead and the frequent runs, some people are scared that whoever attacked us before will strike again." Nikolai merely stared straight ahead, not acknowledging his words. Tyreese asked, "What are your thoughts on the whole thing?" Nikolai stood straight, golem-like and unmoving. Tyreese sighed, "You know, you could say something. It is a lot more polite than being rude and saying nothing." Nikolai, once again, said nothing. Tyreese was visibly getting annoyed at this, and said, "What the hell is your problem? Do you have beef with me?" Nikolai slowly turned towards the man, and, for once, spoke to someone other than The Governor or Martinez. Softly, in his deep tone, made more menacing by his helmet, the giant spoke, "I am merely trying to perform the duty given to me." Apparently, the Black man had not been expecting that. He said, a bit light-heartedly, "You know, it isn't a sin to talk to other people." Nikolai responded with a subtle nod. Tyreese said, "Well, whatever the reason, you seem pretty efficient with heavy weaponry, evident by your wielding of those big guns on your back." Nikolai did not respond. He merely resumed his former position of standing still, observing the landscape for any detectable movement. Of course, there was none. It didn't matter. As long as The Governor posted him on gate watch, he would not have any reason to complain. Tyreese spoke, "You know... It isn't a bad town. Its quiet, mostly. There's shelter, food, medicine. Pretty sweet deal, huh?" Nikolai did not respond. As strong as he was, endless travel made him weary. Deep down, Nikolai was relieved he found at least temporary refuge. The giant looked at the Black man, and softly spoke, "It is...nice to have shelter, I admit." Tyreese nodded his head, saying, "I know, man." They stood there, watching for several more minutes, until a tap on Nikolai's shoulder made the giant whirl around, hand on one of his blade handles. The Governor was there, saying, "Easy, now. Tyreese, go take a breather. I need to talk to Hoss for a minute." Tyreese swiftly left with a nod, most likely to go join his sister for a meal break.

As soon as Tyreese was out of sight, The Governor spoke, "Listen, Hoss. I need to make a very important topic of notice to you." Nikolai stood straight, fully at attention. Nikolai said, "Speak, sir." The Governor continued, "Some of our scouts have made inspections of the enemy's base. They are in a prison not far from here." The Governor presented Nikolai a map, pointing at a small red _"x"_ which determined the exact location of the base. Placing his finger over the _"x"_ , The Governor spoke, "This is where we plan on making our attack." Nikolai made a careful examination of the location on the parchment. Indeed, the prison would not take longer than an estimated 45 minutes to drive there. The Governor continued, "We have scouts whom check upon their progress every few days. They set up a temporary sniping post, observing their group for several hours. The scouts write down their recordings. Afterwards, they report back here." Nikolai nodded, signaling for The Governor to continue. The Governor spoke, "Nikolai. I must ask you. Do you feel loyal to this town?" Nikolai could immediately feel his moral conduct grinding among the insides of his brain. The giant considered the question extraordinarily carefully, before he spoke, "Governor, you have proven yourself a capable leader." As aloof as Nikolai was, loyalty was a particular subject that Nikolai held a fierce passion for. The Governor had treated Nikolai very well since he had entered Woodbury. The patched man never seemed to raise his voice unless needed. His conduct towards his people seemed fair, at least to what Nikolai could tell. To Nikolai, it seemed that the giant found himself being magnetically attracted to The Governor's charisma. There was only one aspect of The Governor that Nikolai was weary of. The patched man had lied about the incident with the traitor named Merle. He had made Nikolai out to be a hero to the town when in actuality he was merely a vagabond. Nikolai saw this aspect as a very grey area. For one, he could understand the desire of keeping the public happy. However, the concept of lying still made the giant uneasy. The patched man spoke, "Well, I am very pleased to hear that you think so." Nikolai nodded courteously. The Governor said, "I've been hearing several rumors about your abilities in combat. You are clearly not a people person. You seem better suited for fighting, shooting, being on watch, the like." Nikolai said nothing. The Governor spoke, "You have made it very clear to the people that you aren't here to make friends. However, it seems like whenever we go on a run, they ask me to make a request specifically for you to accompany them." Nikolai slowly turned towards the man, yet still said nothing. Over time, the town had slightly grown on the giant. He remained aloof and distant as usual, but he made sure to complete his assigned duties to the best of his ability. The Governor continued, "The people here consider you to be a reliable asset. Although some are put off by your distant nature, you have proven your worth by actions, not words." Nikolai asked, "The people find me useful?" The Governor nodded with a warm smile, "That's right. You've been here for a little under two weeks, and people are already saying good things. These people need someone whom they feel that can protect them. Someone who can help them when they need it. Nikolai, I am requesting you to be The Vanguard of Woodbury." Nikolai turned towards the man. The giant spoke, "Vanguard, sir?" The Governor said, "I need someone like you to help Martinez. These people need protection, and they will want someone with your reputation." Nikolai spoke, "These civilians do not know anything about me, Governor." The Governor responded, "No. But they trust you. You can't see it, but they do. We need you." Nikolai didn't respond for several minutes, merely staring ahead." The Governor must have known of the conflict in his mind, because he said, "I'll give you time to think about it." Before Nikolai could say anything, The Governor had turned on his heel, descending the ladder. The patched man swiftly strode away, rounding the corner and vanishing from sight.

The Governor's words echoed within Nikolai's head for hours afterwards. Something about what he said had resounded in the very furthest corners of the giant's mind. This was the first time he had ever been in a community since the undead had risen from the grave. By performing what he had thought was merely duty, he had unintentionally given himself a reputation. Nikolai had not expected this. Then again, maybe he should have. He only thought that he should have some sort of obligation to the town for taking him in. He remained aloof, single-mindedly performing tasks assigned to him. He had remained a loner for the entirety of his life, all throughout his youth and school years. Even growing older, he never really socialized with anyone besides his parents. He had severe trust issues from the hellish life he had endured. Years of abuse from family members and being bullied by his peers had made Nikolai very distant and withdrawn. The giant did not like conflict, and did whatever was necessary to avoid it. Most of the time, he ignored others, remaining indifferent to them. However, on a few occasions, he had lost control, changing completely. When pushed to the limit, Nikolai changed. He became a monstrous, ruthless embodiment of chaos, entering a berserk rage and harming anyone whom dared to cross him. Nikolai did not like that aspect about himself. He did everything in his power to avoid fighting because of this reason. The giant lie upon his mattress in his bedroom, thoughts crossing his mind endlessly. He had not expected such a request from The Governor at all. He was hoping that he would be left alone if he performed his duties to their optimum efficiency. The exact opposite had happened. But was it really all that bad? This was the first place he had stayed in, and so far, compared to the outside world, it was much more preferable. Honestly, he liked being on his own, but here, he had food, shelter, and running water. Perhaps this town may actually be somewhat tolerable.

Nikolai rose from his mattress, and exited his apartment building. The early evening sun cast a fiery orange light across the paved streets of Woodbury. There was a crisp, cool breeze in the air, and Nikolai felt the wind flutter across the fabric of his chest. It felt...nice. Even though it would still get hot outside, he still wore clothes that concealed his entire body, being very self-conscious of his appearance, helmet covering his head. He saw children playing, a couple grooming a dog, and smelled meat cooking in the air. It almost seemed...normal. He began making his way to the The Governor's office building, when his thoughts were interrupted by a commotion that erupted in the street. Nikolai lumbered towards the crowd of people that had gathered in the middle of the road. Someone was shouting rather loudly, and the people were watching intently. The massive man could easily see above everyone's heads, and he saw The Governor and another man staring at one another. The Governor seemed calm and collected, while the other man was obviously furious. The man opposite The Governor was much shorter than the patched man, standing at roughly his chest. He had scruffy red hair and was in obvious discontent. The man spoke, "How can you even think of giving this freak a home?! He makes everyone uncomfortable! He doesn't talk to anyone. He is rude, and seems like another mouth to feed! The last time you took people in, we ended up being attacked!" Nikolai immediately knew the shorter man was speaking ill of him. Nikolai remained unaffected by this. The Governor did not respond, merely standing there, hands in his jacket pockets. The man continued, "We don't need his help! We don't need to be taking in strangers! At a time like this, we can't be taking in new people. You're putting us all in danger!" The Governor spoke with a smile on his face, "Now I'm sure you're aware, we need all of the help we can get. The attack on the enemy camp is coming soon, and we desperately need reinforcements." The shorter man replied, "Yeah? Well I think that we should just leave them be. If they don't attack us, we don't attack them. We station heavier defenses on the wall, arm every citizen. That way we will be more prepared next time." The Governor responded with a skeptical look, "What you are saying implies gives them ample opportunity to strike us first. What if they attack when a huge horde of biters is nearby? What if they come in here with heavy vehicles, ramming straight through the gates? Are you really willing to put your family at risk?" The shorter man responded, "They may be too afraid to say it, but I'm not. Let's examine the facts. Under YOUR leadership, terrorists attacked us in our OWN TOWN! My family is scared, we're all scared! You keep saying we will attack this prison, but all I see is false words." The Governor had adapted a stern look upon his face now. He clearly did not like having his leadership questioned. The patched man responded firmly, "I admit we are going through a rough patch, but I think we should be looking at all we have accomplished. We should be proud of what he have built." The crowd looked at one another, some nodding, some giving skeptical looks. Nikolai began to notice what Tyreese had meant by the people growing discontent. There was clearly a divided opinion among the populace on the issue of whether to actually attack the enemy camp or not. Since Nikolai had resided in this town, nobody had spoken much of it, although the frequency of training drills had increased dramatically. The shorter man spoke, "Instead of looking at the past, we need to look at the future. Instead of fighting this enemy camp, why don't we try trading with them instead? Wouldn't it mutually benefit both communities?" Nikolai couldn't help but see the wisdom in those words. The Governor responded, "I told you once before, they spit in my face on the idea of peace." The short man spoke, "Supply runs have failed lately, and it is making the morale here plummet. How are you going to fix this?" Suddenly, Martinez appeared beside them, trying to mediate, "Now listen Michael, I know that you've been stressed lately, but listen. We are well stocked with ammunition, food, resour-" Michael cut him off, "Who invited you? Stay out of this." Martinez immediately looked annoyed, saying, "Look, man. Just chill out." Michael had begun to lose his temper, "Yeah it is well-stocked for now! But what happens when it runs out? If supply runs continue to fail at this rate, we will find ourselves starving sooner than later." Nikolai could see all of the man's points. However, he thought Michael was being rather fearful. Surely things in this town weren't _that_ bad. Michael spoke again, "Governor, you've been acting hasty, and you're slowly losing it. The people are getting anxious." The Governor spoke with fierce determination, motioning to all of his people, "I assure you, we will survive this. We will win this conflict. After everything we have been through? This is merely a minor setback! After all of the bullshit that has been thrown our way? We rebuilt our great community. This is the holy ground!" Nikolai himself couldn't help but feel at least some inspiration from the patched man's words. The Governor seemed like an eccentric man, but he certainly knew how to speak. Some of the crowd had begun to nod approvingly at the patched man's words, but Michael remain undeterred. He said, "Yeah. You keep telling us the same thing, but we'll see what happens." Michael looked away from The Governor towards the people, "How many of you think that we should leave this prison alone?" No hands were raised. Michael said, "Are you really that afraid of voicing your opinion?" One of the people in the crowd said, "Michael, just go home and take some personal time. We're all tired, man. It's been a rough day." Several people in the crowd gave nods and murmurs of agreement. Seeing this, Michael was absolutely fuming, and said, "Fine, but my family and I are leaving!" The man elbowed his way through the crowd, managing to break through. The Governor stood there, merely staring at the man as he walked off.

Michael stormed off in a rage, and at the last moment before entering what must have been his home, whirled around. He stomped up to Nikolai angrily. It seemed everyone was too stunned in the crowd to try to stop him. Nikolai could feel the tension in the air as the crowd's eyes were magnetically attracted to them. The shorter man looked like an ant standing next to the giant. Michael practically yelled, "And what's your story? Too good to talk to anyone?" Nikolai merely looked down at the man, not speaking. Michael continued, "Look, I'm telling you. You make my wife uncomfortable, and you make everyone else here uncomfortable. Some of them think you'll kill them in their sleep! What is your problem? Can't talk because you're retarded?" At these words, a slender woman with black hair came up behind him and said, "Mikey, come on now, don't make a scene. You've already done enough." Nikolai observed the woman, she seemed sad, an absolutely pitiful look in her eyes. Michael turned towards the woman and said, "Listen babe. I don't think we need to be taking in new people. We've taken in people before and some of them have turned out to be bad ideas." The woman responded angrily, "You do this every time!" Michael angrily shoved the woman off of him, saying, "Get the kids, we're leaving. Wife, we are getting out of here." Michael grabbed his wife's hand and began to walk away, dragging her with him. At this, Nikolai spoke, "My apologies, sir. I did not mean any disrespect to you or your family." Michael looked up at him, looking even madder than before, "Yeah? You think that's enough? We don't know anything about you! For all we know you could be a terrorist!" The Governor was suddenly behind Michael, saying, "Enough of this! Michael, you're being paranoid! This man found Dixon and brought him in! You should know that!" Michael turned towards the patched man and screeched, "Who is to say that he isn't aligned with Dixon in the first place? All of a sudden this freak shows up and has Dixon on a silver platter? Bullshit!" The Governor then said, "Michael, enough of this!" Michael screamed, "You're the problem here Governor! And so is this freak!" Suddenly, Michael had lost his temper, whirling around and hitting Nikolai in the stomach with a solid right punch to the stomach. It did not hurt Nikolai much, but he could definitely feel it. The wind was knocked out of the giant. The Governor immediately tried to restrain Michael, but it did no good. Michael dipped his shoulder, tossing the patched man over his back. Several people in the crowd had begun to voice their disapproval, some trying to restrain him. Michael was completely out of control. The black haired woman tried to grab Michael, but to no avail. Michael rounded on Nikolai, drawing a knife. The shorter man said, "Come on retard! I'll take care of this problem myself!" The Governor lie on the ground, having landed on his elbow. He was clutching it in pain. Michael charged straight at Nikolai. The giant dodged a swing of the knife. He could hear the blade cutting the air, whistling by his left ear. Michael kept swinging wildly, getting all the more angry as he did so. Nikolai remained composed, knowing that his stamina easily outclassed the shorter man's endurance. Michael screeched in fury, managing to land a blow to Nikolai's gut again. The wife once more tried to get Michael to calm down by coming up behind him. In rage, Michael turned, and accidentally made a slash across the woman's cheek. The stunned look of pain and hurt across the woman's face immediately convinced Nikolai that this had gone on long enough. Michael payed no mind to what he had just done, coming for the giant again. Nikolai stood still, catching Michael's right wrist which held the knife. Nikolai proceeded to squeeze. Michael began to groan in pain. Nikolai felt no anger, but he did believe that Michael needed to be neutralized. The giant slowly tightened his grip. Michael was beginning to visibly look as if he was in pain, as the knife dropped from his hands. The shorter man said, "Alright! Alright! Let me go!" Nikolai ignored his words. The giant still tightened his grip. Michael's hand began to turn purple from the lack of circulation. The crowd began pleading with Nikolai to release the man. The Governor rose, clutching his elbow. He walked up to Nikolai, saying, "Alright Hoss. You've done enough." But Nikolai still increased his grip. And continued to increase it until a sickening crunch was heard, followed by an intense shriek of agony. Nikolai had squeezed the man's wrist so hard it snapped the bone. Michael fell to his knees, clutching his wrist. Immediately, his wife was by his side, crying in grief. Nikolai turned to look at the crowd, and they were all staring at him in utter disbelief and bewilderment. The Governor himself looked taken aback. The giant felt no sympathy for the man lying at his feet, and merely stared down at lumbered away from the crowd towards his bedroom building. Nikolai had merely neutralized the threat. He had not killed anyone, he had just disarmed a dangerous man. The giant entered the building, and immediately lie down on his mattress. He fell asleep not long afterward, allowing his troubles to be feathered away by sleep.


End file.
